Post navigation

formnext Powered by tct Set to Showcase the Evolution of Modern Product Development and Manufacturing

On 15-18 November in Frankfurt am Main, formnext 2016 will be presenting a remarkable array of global market leaders, innovations, and technological highlights. Some 272 exhibitors from every area of modern product development and manufacturing are poised to demonstrate fast, cost-efficient means of industrial production to visitors from all over the world.

formnext powered by tctInternational exhibition and conference
on the next generation of manufacturing technologies
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
15-18 November 2016

“By bringing together additive and more conventional techniques, formnext focuses specifically on the developments and demands of modern production,” states Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President for formnext at event organizer Mesago Messe Frankfurt. “Based on the highly successful expansion we’ve undergone, our second event will show that the formnext concept definitely has its finger on the current pulse.” Indeed, formnext 2016 promises to be a significantly larger event in terms of both the exhibitors expected and the space at their disposal: It will fully occupy the 18,500 square meters of Hall 3.1 at Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds. With nearly half of the exhibitors hailing from outside of Germany, attendees can look forward to meeting the international elite in their respective fields of expertise.

Highlights Expected to Draw Visitors in DrovesAt the “AM Meets Aerospace” showcase, attendees will learn how additive manufacturing and modern product development are finding their way into innovations in the aerospace industry. Leading organizations including the civilian division of Airbus, the engine manufacturer MTU, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the aerospace company Airbus Safran Launchers, Laser Zentrum Nord, and the Aerospace Factory Additive Manufacturing network will also show off their in-depth knowledge and latest applications, offering real added value to visitors from other areas of industry.

Meanwhile, the “Basic Materials” showcase will unveil cutting-edge developments in this field with regard to both conventional and additive production. Through a comparison of conventional and additive components made of different materials from various industries, it will also cover how basic materials can influence additive serial production.

In the Start-up Challenge area, the enterprising young winners of this formnext competition will have the chance to present their ideas and innovations. The five best entrants from this year’s Start-up Challenge will be officially announced on the first day of the exhibition. Under the theme “3D Printing for the Mobile Individual”, the Purmundus Challenge 2016 will also be honoring the year’s best forward-thinking ideas.

In addition, visitors can find out how additive technologies are expected to continue evolving toward mass production. These advancements include new and faster printing technologies from XJET and HP, for example, as well as from countless innovative firms much smaller in size. Industry leaders like Additive Industries, Concept Laser, EOS, Renishaw, and SLM Solutions will also be on hand to demonstrate their holistic production concepts, which incorporate job preparation, manufacturing, quality control, unpacking, and further processing.

Among other exhibitors illustrating the innovative potential in combining conventional and additive manufacturing, Reutlingen University (Germany) will be exhibiting live production operations using an injection molding machine from Arburg and a tool insert 3D-printed by Alphacam.

In addition, this year’s event will expand into numerous specialized fields all along the process chain and present leading global technology from the conventional realm. Prominent names like Hermle, Matsuura, Hage, and the DMG subsidiary Sauer will be in attendance to represent the mechanical engineering industry. A total of 28 international tool making companies will also be presenting at formnext 2016, underscoring how much importance this sector continues to gain. Those showcasing their leading expertise and prototypes in this field will include 1zu1 Prototypen, Antonius Köster, CNC Speedform, Robert Hofmann, Kegelmann, Lamy, Listemann, and Schülken Form.

Along with other innovative, tradition-rich companies dealing in conventional technology (such as Bikar Metalle, Knarr, Nikon, Oerlikon Metco, and Werth Messtechnik), the software industry’s presence at formnext will continue to grow thanks to the likes of Altair, Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes, IKOffice, and MachineWorks-Polygonica.

Meanwhile, the latest developments in materials will be covered by world-leading organizations including Heraeus, Höganäs, Sandvik Osprey, and Airbus subsidiary APWorks. The Digital Factory division of Siemens AG will also be attending for the first time.

The formnext conference: fertile ground for new ideasAt the formnext powered by tct conference, experts from around the world will invite attendees to explore the latest trends in generative manufacturing. In her keynote, German Paralympic star Denise Schindler will talk about how additive technologies are helping athletes reach their peak performance. World-renowned market analyst Terry Wohlers will also be on hand to describe the current industry environment and offer a glimpse of the future. In addition, representatives from prominent companies like BMW, Deutsche Bahn, Procter & Gamble, and the German Aerospace Center will demonstrate real-world applications in spare parts logistics, sports, consumer goods, the aerospace sector, and other areas. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to gain related expertise and inspiration for all kinds of ways they can successfully leverage additive technology themselves.

About formnextformnext powered by tct brings exhibitors involved in additive manufacturing and more conventional industrial production technologies together with the manufacturing industry itself. Each year, the event presents the next generation of intelligent industrial manufacturing in the international exhibition hub of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. In doing so, it focuses on the efficient realization of product ideas, from their design and manufacturing to serial production. After hitting the ground running at its 2015 debut and establishing itself as a prominent international exhibition, formnext 2016 will once again showcase innovations while providing key inspiration for the future. The conference set to take place alongside the exhibition will also highlight the latest trends and issues in additive manufacturing, along with clever ways in which it can be integrated into process chains in industrial production. The conference’s content is designed by Rapidnews/tct + Personalize. formnext powered by tct is organized by Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH. (formnext.com)

About MesagoMesago, founded in 1982 and located in Stuttgart, specializes in exhibitions and conferences on various topics of technology. The company belongs to the Messe Frankfurt Group. Mesago operates internationally and is not tied to a specific venue. With 130 members of staff Mesago organizes events for the benefit of more than 3,300 exhibitors and over 110,000 trade visitors, conference delegates and speakers from all over the world. Numerous trade associations, publishing houses, scientific institutes and universities work with Mesago closely as advisers, co-organizers and partners. Mesago comprises three companies: Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH, Mesago Messemanagement GmbH and Mesago PCIM GmbH. (mesago.com)

About tctSince 1992 the tct Group’s mission has been to accelerate the adoption of 3D technologies for design, development and manufacture across all industry sectors. Through events, publications, websites and digital products tct delivers business-critical insights on 3D printing, additive manufacturing, CAD/CAE, metrology and inspection, as well as traditional manufacturing processes such as molding, casting and CNC machining. The tct Group is owned by Rapid News Publications Ltd (rapidnews.com), part of Rapid News Communications Group. (rapidnews.com)